HELP! Attaching Scales

[zcostilla]

I'm about to attach scales on my first ever knife. I bought a full-tang blade (no scales included) from Texas Knifemakers Supply that was close to what I wanted to make for myself to save time and money and see if knifemaking is something I want to take up as a hobby. I have the linen micarta scales, and I am wondering if I have to use pins/rivets, or can I get away with epoxy only. I really want the clean look if at all possible.

Knife info:
It's a Lit'l Badger small caping blade that I reprofiled the full tang to fit more like a straight razor handle, but only as long as my hand. I can grip it normally, choke up on the choil, pencil grip, and with the blade out the bottom, and get a good grip with each style. I am also thinking about slightly changing the blade profile by taking about 1/16" off near the choil to give a slight belly and shortening about 1/8" to increase the blade curve, but I'll test it with the the current profile before I make any changes to see if it really needs it, or if I'm full of garbage and think I know more than I really do.

I originally wanted to make about the same thing as what I'm doing now out of D2, but it's much easier to start with a kit for the first knife.

Any help at all will be greatly appreciated.

Zac

 

[axeldoomeyer]

I would recommend using pins. This will add to the overall strength of the scales. I have seen others use "hidden" pins. The pins go through the tang and partway though the scale. IMHO the pins are necessary to hold the scales onto the tang. I hope this helps... And good luck to you.

 

[Mike Hull]

Yes, pins. If you don't and drop that knife and it hits handle first, it will shear one or both the scales off.

Micarta is highly toxic, giving off phenol and formaldehyde gases when worked. The same toxins will absorb through the skin if the dust is left on long enough.
You will need a respirator with cartridges rated for "organic vapor AND formaldehyde".
If you're doing this in the house, or in an area the rest of your family, or anybody for that matter is using, or will be using, you will expose them to the same hazards.
You have to clean up completely after grinding that stuff, I mean not only yourself, by treating the stuff you have on as toxic waste and not allowing your kids or wife to come in contact with you till you wash it, but the area itself ,must be thoroughly cleaned too. Pets are pretty susceptible to phenol. It all has to be vacuumed up as all that dust is toxic. It will kill plants it gets on them and can harm other living things.